The invention relates to ceramide derivatives and their use as inhibitors of sphingolipid synthesis.
Sphingolipids are understood to be lipids in which instead of the diacetyl glycerol present in the phospholipids an aminodialcohol, i.e. the sphingosine of the following formula ##STR2## is contained.
The naturally occurring sphingolipids include the so-called ceramides in which a fatty acid radical is present at the amino group. "Ceramide" itself is the term generally used for N-palmityl sphingosine of the following formula: ##STR3##
Like other sphingolipids, ceramides perform important functions in the buildup of cell membranes. The investigation of cell membranes and their transport mechanisms represents a biochemical research area of general interest. From the medical side as well there is great interest in such transport mechanisms because numerous metabolic diseases exist which are related to a disturbance of the sphingolipid metabolism, generally involving an increase in the concentration of specific sphingolipids in the body.
The problem underlying the invention is to prepare inhibitors of sphingolipid synthesis in mammal cells with which specific investigations of metabolic and transport mechanisms of sphingolipids can be carried out.
It has been found according to the invention that ceramides having carbon chains which are shortened both in the sphingosine part and in the fatty acid part surprisingly exhibit an inhibitory action on sphingolipid synthesis in mammal cells.